


Should Have Been There.

by misswritingobsessed



Category: Code Black (TV)
Genre: F/M, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-05
Updated: 2018-07-05
Packaged: 2019-06-05 17:34:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15175844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misswritingobsessed/pseuds/misswritingobsessed
Summary: When Leanne learns about Ethan attending the funeral of his brother’s friend, she hates herself for not being there for him.





	Should Have Been There.

**Author's Note:**

> This really isn't my best work, at all, but I wanted to see what you all thought!  
> I promise you I did spell check this, but if you do see any mistakes let me know and I will do my best to edit.  
> Disclaimer - I own nothing.

“So, he went with Rox?” Ariel asked again, her voice getting more and more agitated as the two of them drove home from the hospital.

“He and Rox work together, besides she has a car, Ethan doesn’t.” Leanne knew that was probably the most logical explanation. Ethan had told her that sometimes Rox would stay for breakfast before going home to sleep, and while at first it bothered her, she knew she couldn’t and wouldn’t stop Ethan from having friends.

“You have a car.”

“I know, love, but I was at work, and,” Leanne paused, she had nothing else. “I am sure he has his reasons.” She smiled over at the teenager, hoping it would be good enough, but knowing deep down it wouldn’t.

Pulling into the driveway, she watched as Ariel grabbed the keys to the front door before getting out of the car. She, however, waited a few moments, letting her head fall back against the headrest, pulling her phone out of her pocket.

 _We’re home, if you wanted some company, x._ She text Ethan, wondering if she’d get a response.

_I’ll be there in twenty, x._

At least it was something. Getting herself inside the house, she knew it would be best to speak to Ariel first, letting her know some more details, of course, she wanted the leave the attempted suicide out of it, just like she knew it wasn’t her place to tell her what happened with Robert in Afghanistan. When Ethan had told her over the phone what had happened she could hear the hurt in his voice and hated herself for not being there for him.

“Ariel, honey?” Leanne called from the bottom of the stairs.

She heard the bedroom door open and Ariel’s footsteps as she made her way to the top of the staircase.

“Yeah?”

“Ethan’s coming over, but I think we should have a little chat first. He’s had a tough day and I don’t want you to worry or get upset if he’s not his normal self.” Ariel began making her way down the stairs, waiting for Leanne to continue.

“What happened?” She asked, reaching the bottom.

Leanne smiled, ushering her through to the living room, so she could try and explain properly.

“I know you must have mixed emotions about Rox taking him, and that’s okay, but Rox is his friend and friends support each other, and more importantly, I don’t have an issue with it. Yes, I would have gone is he’d have asked me, but I know Ethan and I know that he has his reasons.”

“I like Rox, I just don’t know why he didn’t ask his girlfriend.” Leanne couldn’t help but smile at the term, but she understood what Ariel was saying, the teen so desperately wanted a family, and she didn’t want anyone to ruin that.

“I know, but, we need to talk about the funeral. While Ethan was there, he learnt more about what happened to Robert in Afghanistan, and more about why he took his own life, and while finding that out there was an incident and one of Robert’s friends ended up in hospital,” She watched as Ariel’s eye went wide at the information.

“He’s fine and Ethan is fine, I just wanted you to know some of it, so that when Ethan comes you know that it’s nothing personal. I still love you and Ethan still loves you, but right now he is going through some things, and he’s going to need all the support we can give him.”

Ariel nodded with a small smile. “So, I shouldn’t make a sarcastic comment?”

Leanne chuckled, shaking her head a little. “Maybe not tonight, love.”

And with that both of them could hear the engine of a motorbike pull up onto the driveway, and only moments later the front door opening.

“Leanne?” Ethan called, closing the door behind him.

Both Leanne and Ariel got up off the couch, making their way into the hall to see Ethan.

Ariel was the first to go over to him, not saying a word but giving him the biggest hug, she could manage.

“Hey kid,”

“Leanne told me some of what happened. I’m really sorry,” Ariel looked up at him, and Ethan smiled at her.

“Me too kid, me too.” He said, his voice breaking a little at the words.

“Ariel, honey, why don’t you go upstairs and get showered, and maybe start on some homework? I’ll put some food on, how does pasta sound?” Leanne suggested, taking a step closer to the pair. She didn’t want to get rid of Ariel, but she could see Ethan was on the verge of tears, and although it wasn’t to do with pride she knew that Ethan wouldn’t want the teen to see that.

“Sure, pasta sounds good.”

Once Ariel had disappeared upstairs she looked at Ethan, giving it only a minute before hugging him, holding him tight and letting him cry into her shoulder. Clearly, he’d been holding it all in until he was home, and that didn’t bother her at all.

“It’s okay, Ethan.” She whispered into his shoulder. “Let’s go lay down,” She continued, as much as she wanted to talk to him, he looked completely drained.

Ethan pulled away from her a little, so he could see her face. “No, I want to stay up. I want to spend some time with you and Ariel.”

Leanne couldn’t help but feel her chest warm at his words, even after one of his worst days he wanted to be with them.

“We can talk, whenever you’re ready.” Leanne said, watching as he took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there, Ethan. I should have been there.”

That’s when Ethan frowned. Of course, a part of him knew it would get to Ariel that Rox had taken him, but it never crossed his mind that he would hear so much pain and anger in Leanne’s voice when he got home. He wasn’t stupid he knew the anger was at herself. 

“No, Leanne. I didn’t want you to have to sit through that.” He didn’t like bringing up the accident, or her kids, time to time Leanne would smile, tell him how something reminded her of them, or make small comparisons between Ariel and Catlin.

Usually, it was sleeping habits, clearly Leanne’s first daughter enjoyed her sleep too.

“I should have been there for you. It’s what partners do, they support each other, and I wasn’t there,”

“Partner?” Ethan asked, he should have stayed focused on telling her that he didn’t want her there, he didn’t want to drag up those painful memories, but the term had made him laugh inside.

“I think we’re a little old for boyfriend and girlfriend, don’t you?” She shot back, this time moving away from him to walk down the hall to the kitchen.

“How does wife sound?” He asked, with a grin, following her. Feeling the best he had done since he’d woken up this morning. He could cry some more later, he would speak about it tonight when he and Leanne were laid in bed, neither of them being able to sleep, but right now, while Leanne was here, and Ariel was awake he wanted to be happy, normal, the person that they knew.

“Sounds like a big decision. Either way, Ethan, today was a tough day. Girlfriend, wife, partner, best friend, I should have been there for you, and I am sorry I wasn’t.” Leanne told him on a serious note.

Ethan took a few steps towards her, hands going to her waist, pulling her into him.

“Today, was horrible, and I know it’s going to take some time, but right now, I am with you, we have Ariel, and that’s all that matters to me. Whatever you think about today, whether you should have been there or not, you’re here now, and that means more to me than you holding my hand through that funeral.”

Leanne sighed, “Okay. I love you,”

“I love you too,” He wrapped his arms around her again, running his hands up and down her back, placing soft kisses to her hair.

Footsteps coming down the stairs made them pull apart.

Ariel appeared in the doorway only seconds later, dressed in her pyjamas, her hair still wet from the shower.

“Are you okay, Ethan?” She asked, her voice was quiet, and Leanne could tell she was trying to be on her best behaviour.

Ethan smiled as her, before giving her a hug. “I’m a lot better now I’m with you two.”

And that was the truth. A day from hell was always made better by seeing the two people he loved and cared for the most.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you thought?  
> For future reference, how do we feel about slight A/U stories?


End file.
